Following complaints about faulty national flags given to municipal councillors for distribution and the Congress campaign against it, Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Pralhad Joshi has said that the municipal Commissioner has been directed to take action against the suppliers and also the officials who received them without proper checks.
Mr. Joshi told presspersons in Hubballi on Friday that the distribution of faulty flags should not be a hurdle for Har Ghar Tiranga campaign. So the officials had been directed to collect the faulty flags and give them proper flags in return. “And the faulty flags should not be sold. The Commissioner has been asked to collect details of those who supplied faulty flags and take action against them,” he said.
Mr. Joshi said that various programmes had been launched to provide information on lakhs of people who sacrificed their lives and spent years in various prisons during the freedom struggle. Steps were being taken to create awareness on freedom fighters among the younger generation, he said.
To a query regarding demand by a group of people for erecting a Ganesh pandal at Idgah Maidan in Hubballi, Mr. Joshi said he was not aware of the matter. However, he said that the Supreme Court had ruled that it was a property of the municipal corporation and that the Idgah Maidan should be given for prayer twice a year to the Muslim community. “Since it is property of the municipal corporation, it is free to take suitiable decision on the demand,” he said.
On corruption issue, he said the Commissioner had been directed to take action against those involved without yielding to any pressure.
‘Flag wapsi’
Meanwhile, addressing press persons in Hubballi on Friday, AICC member Deepak Chinchore and president of the Vidyanagara Block Congress Rajat Ullagaddimath raised the issue of faulty flags being given to councillors and said they would discuss with the party seniors on organising ‘Dwaj Wapsi’ (returning of flags) to send the faulty flags to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Mr. Rajat said that through amendments to the flag code, the use of polyester and mill cloth had been allowed. However, various sections of the flag code had been violated in the making of the flags stitched for distribution among the public. Nearly 70% of the flags were faulty, he said.
